While most students were spending their Spring Break at the beach or lounging poolside, eight College of Medicine students traveled more than 8,000 miles to Kampala, Uganda.
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The HSC website has recieved a facelift. As a student, faculty or staff, you are getting an exclusive look at our new websites before they are launched for the entire world to see, this summer.
Maj. Gen. David A. Rubenstein is an exemplary leader, and he hopes rural public health students follow in his footsteps.
He is the U.S. Army’s Deputy Surgeon General and a graduate of Texas A&M University as well as the Army War College. Obtaining degrees for health administration and military service, he was armed with knowledge to pursue a career in protecting the American people and providing for their health care needs.
“Service” could be his middle name. A consummate professional, Maj. Gen. Rubenstein is chairman of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) — a professional health care organization providing tools, guidance and support for its members. Acting in his role as ACHE chairman, he recently gave a presentation to School of Rural Public Health students. These students are members of the Association for Future Healthcare Leaders—an ACHE student organization.
“There’s always someone smarter than you,” he said. “Find out who can help you.”
In addition to finding a mentor, Maj. Gen. Rubenstein says it takes networking, education and professional development to prepare to become a good leader.
He likened health care leadership to developing a timeline of options before making decisions.
“It’s like rules of engagement in the Army,” he said. “It’s what a soldier does before he pulls the trigger. To make decisions that could result in life or death, it’s important to invest in yourself.”
In addition to advice about decision-making, MG Rubenstein spoke about networking.
“Membership in professional organizations is not required for graduation, but it helps along the way.”
He stressed that education, as well as communication, is important for a balanced life.
“Read professional papers, but think outside the box,” he said. “I recommend ‘If Disney Ran Your Hospital: 9 ½ Things You Would Do Differently.’ Also, if you want to learn about leadership, read diaries and journals about Lewis and Clark.
He says the ACHE provides comprehensive resources to give health executives an advantage in leadership.
“Whether people are beginning their career or are well established in one of the many sectors of the health care field, the ACHE is dedicated to give members an edge as exemplary leaders,” he said.
With these words, Maj. Gen. Rubenstein inspired the students to strive for excellence in their field as great leaders do.
For more information about the ACHE, go online to www.ache.com, call (312) 424-2800 or fax (312) 424-0023.
With a nursing shortage and large existing population of nurses who are aging and ready to retire, it is crucial to increase the number of registered nurses in Texas. And, the Texas A&M Health Science Center is meeting that demand through its new College of Nursing.
From clinical experiences and health care disaster relief to simulated studies and hands-on patient care, HSC nursing students are preparing to fill the ranks of their predecessors. The college’s learning environment offers flexibility, small classes, simulation labs and clinical settings.
Nursing student Merinda Achgill of St. Petersburg, Russia, enjoys the flexibility of the program since it is so new.
“It’s hard when the schedules are changing so often, but the professors are very cognitive of our changing needs,” she said.
Along with flexibility, Steven Schulze of Spring, Texas, likes the benefits from a small class size.
“It’s easier to get attention when you need it,” he said. “They (the faculty) all know your name, and they’re easy to approach. They come out looking to help you.”
Not only does small class size increase cohesion among the nursing students, but it also allows professors to spend more one-on-one time with each student. With some students having previous experience at programs in bigger colleges, this luxury does not go unappreciated.
Lana Smith from Groves, Texas, said, “I can’t imagine having a nursing class of 150 and not knowing anybody. It’s so important to be comfortable.”
Besides access to their professors, the first-year class of the College of Nursing had a one-of-a-kind opportunity for hands-on experience. When Hurricane Ike hit Texas in September 2008, many evacuees were transported to Texas A&M University’s Reed Arena for shelter and health care.
[caption id="attachment_6206" align="alignright" width="171" caption="Steven Schulze"]
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The nursing students performed a variety of tasks ranging from feeding and giving baths to changing out oxygen tanks and checking vital signs as well as blood glucose levels. They also changed wound dressings, assisted in lifting and moving patients, and, at times, simply listened and talked to evacuees.
Carolyn Saunders from Little Elm, Texas, was moved by the crucial clinical experiences.
“Each small victory in a patient’s care felt like such a huge accomplishment,” she said. “I learned to truly care about a patient while I’m caring for a patient.”
Like most nursing students, Steven Schulze says it was an experience he’ll never forget.
“I know when school gets hard and I feel overwhelmed, I will remember this day and know I chose the right profession,” he said.
After Hurricane Ike, the nursing students were ready for more hands-on experiences, including “check offs” in a lab populated by computer-simulated manikins. Schulze said while talking to manikins as if they are living patients can seem silly at times, the students see the simulations as invaluable.
His classmate, Merinda Achgill, was amazed by the simulations.
“We get to act as a team, and it solidifies skills so much better than just looking at PowerPoint (presentations),” she said.
Once nursing students master their skills in the simulation lab, they move to clinical settings.
Emily Shield of Bay City, Texas, said all of her clinical experiences have been “so rewarding” – “I get to help people each and every time I go. What could be better?”
Of course, alongside these exciting opportunities are long days, endless reading and intense testing. Still, the first class of nursing students agree they wouldn’t have it any other way.
Martha Teke of Frisco, Texas, sums it up as a life-changing experience.
“Nursing school is truly a change in mind and heart,” she said. “A change in mind in that you spend more time critically thinking, and a change in heart in that you joyfully put others before yourself.”
The poverty and everyday life in Esmeraldas left a distinct impression on the group. It was a stark contrast from the breathtaking backdrop scenery surrounding the town and the slums people lived in.
In Ecuador, alongside the tourism and beautiful landscapes is a poverty stricken population needing medicine and health education. Eager to respond to this need, the Texas A&M Health Science Center (HSC) conducted a weeklong service-learning trip to Esmeraldas this past summer.
Faculty and students from the College of Nursing, Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, Baylor College of Dentistry, College of Medicine and School of Rural Public Health represented the HSC.
Ph.D., HSC vice president for program development and community outreach, to get their support and to recruit a true interdisciplinary team of faculty and students for the HSC-wide service-learning opportunity. Group meetings enabled everyone to get to know each other and plan for meeting trip objectives before traveling.
“Education is very important to each team,” Dr. Bentley says. “We do not just go in with a band aid but instead provide long-lasting information for the patients to use after we are gone.
Students rotated through each station in order to give them a wide range of experiences. The students got excited to interact with and learn from health care professionals while helping with patients.
“I’ve done this so many times, but the excitement never really wears off,” says Dr. Bentley. “We stayed really busy every day. We saw a total of 421 children and 95 adults in four days.”
The surprising thing for everyone was the number of women and children who didn’t understand how to eat healthy. The group quickly adapted to the needs of the patients and used local foods such as rice and plantains to educate them on how eating better can lead to a healthier lifestyle.
Nursing student Monica Smith didn’t know what to expect. “I thought we might see a lot of obesity,” says Smith. “However, what we saw was a lot of children that were malnourished.”
As expected, the biggest problem was parasites. Fortunately, the group had enough medicine for everyone to resolve the issue, at least temporarily. As a preventative measure against these parasites, Dr. Bryan Boulanger and Oscar Munoz from Texas A&M University worked with local church leaders to teach them how to make low-cost ceramic water filters out of supplies in their community. These ceramic filters can be used to provide households clean drinking water for the first time.
Despite these conditions, the people of Esmeraldas had high spirits. The children valued every paper hat, every sticker and every educational experience as if it were the most exciting thing they had ever done. The women served team members lunch every day and were so genuinely happy to do so.
Monica Smith says, “The people were happy with what they had because it was all they knew. You wouldn’t really know that they were sick.”
“The many beautiful and happy smiles we have shared this week with the children of Esmeraldas and Quito prove that we can make a positive difference in the lives of others when we work together,” wrote Dr. Boulanger, assistant professor in environmental engineering at Texas A&M, in the trip journal.
All faculty members were impressed and encouraged by the selfless and joyful attitudes the students had. It was enjoyable for everyone to see each other outside an academic environment and really get to know these people they interact with on a daily basis.
“Our students have been simply remarkable,” Dr. Dickey says. “They work hard and laugh readily. Everyone leaps to a job to be done without any query to whose job it is or attention to where they came from.”
Anna Ratka, Ph.D., Pharm.D., professor and chair of pharmaceutical sciences at the Rangel College of Pharmacy, echoed Dr. Dickey’s sentiments.
“The students showed genuine compassion, care and dedication,” says Dr. Ratka, who lead the pharmacy team. “They were truly outstanding as members of the multidisciplinary team of health care professionals.”
Avery Ritter, one of four third-year pharmacy students on the trip, says, “I would jump at the chance to do this type of service learning again. I think the most valuable lesson I learned was that no matter the language, no matter the country, we are all more alike than unalike.”
Both Smith and Johnston were examples of the servant attitudes of the students. Smith’s favorite moment was the story of a mother that received education on how to nurse her baby properly.
“She hadn’t fed her baby after three hours,” Smith says. “So, we worked together to discreetly communicate to the doctors and tried to get her to feed the baby, and she was so receptive to what they had to say. She came back down the stairs, and she had her baby nursing. She even had a smile on her face.”
Johnston reflected on a little girl in the dental exam room. Her primary job there was to assist the dentist when the children wouldn’t cooperate.
“She wouldn’t let the dentist touch her unless I was holding her hand,” Johnston says. “She put that much trust in me. Of course, I was never going to walk away. We’re nurses, and that’s what nurses do.
When 51-year-old Luis Espericueta went to the doctor for the first time in his life in August 2009, he received what many in the Hispanic culture view as a death sentence. The native of Monterrey, Mexico, had experienced many of the common symptoms of diabetes including rapid weight loss, constant hunger, dry mouth and frequent urination.
Espericueta says he refused to accept a future filled with diabetic complications and vowed to take his health into his own hands for the sake of his family. He followed his doctor’s advice and immediately enrolled in the Texas A&M Health Science Center Coastal Bend Health Education Center “Controlling Your Diabetes” class. Currently, the center’s diabetes program is the only diabetes self-management class in the Coastal Bend taught in Spanish.
Beginning in 2012, the accrediting authority for the Texas A&M Health Science Center, (HSC), the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), will evaluate the HSC for compliance with core requirements, comprehensive standards and federal requirements. The outcome of this evaluation will help determine if the HSC will receive continuing accreditation.
Dr. Nancy W. Dickey, president of the Texas A&M Health Science Center and vice chancellor for health affairs for The Texas A&M University System, emphasizes the importance of this reaffirmation.
“Accreditation for the HSC is necessary to award degrees,” she says. “It also ensures a level of quality in education and that degrees will be recognized as true achievements. Indeed, it is the stamp of approval that an institution of higher education is viable and secure.”
Overall accreditation must be granted to an institution of higher education, while discipline-specific accreditation must be granted to its academic components. SACS accredits the entire HSC to award degrees. HSC academic units are accredited by their discipline-specific accrediting organizations. But, they are not fully certified until SACS grants accreditation for the entire HSC.
During the accreditation site visit in 2012, the QEP will be a major focus of discussion. Dr. Eric Solomon, executive director of the HSC Office of Institutional Research, describes what could happen during a site visit.
“The site visit team could call upon faculty, staff and students at any time to respond to questions about their awareness of the QEP and the project selected to enhance education at the HSC,” he says. “The way our HSC community responds to questions from SACS about our QEP could either show a unified commitment to enhance education or a deficiency in the process.
“Depending upon their assessment of our student-learning process, the SACS on-site visit team may recommend changes to the health science center’s QEP to improve it. Once changes have been made, the HSC can begin to implement the student-learning focus. After five years, SACS will review the health science center’s progress on implementing the QEP.”
Dr. Solomon says the entire QEP process is an integral part of accreditation.
“If you don’t have a successful QEP program, you don’t get accredited,” he says. “QEP is important because it presents us with an opportunity to work together as an educational community and improve our educational programs.
Dr. Solomon says SACS looks at policies, procedures and organizational charts to see if there’s symmetry and equality in the way students, faculty and staff are managed in various components. He says while most academic units are familiar with their own accrediting process, they may not be as knowledgeable about the entire HSC accrediting process.
“It’s paramount for accreditation that we do something that proves that our student-learning plan improves the educational experience for our students,” he says. It could mean that we meet the standard of viable health science centers in the accreditation process.
And, Dr. Roderick E. McCallum, vice president for academic affairs, agrees. He says a successful QEP will benefit the student’s future as well as the future of the entire health science center.
“With the QEP, we look ahead,” he says. “Selecting the QEP topic is one of the more important decisions we will make to affirm our accreditation. We need ideas from faculty and support from students and staff to develop the right plan.
“With the QEP process, we will begin discussions about how we can improve student achievement, but it won’t end there,” Dr. McCallum continues. “This discourse will become an integral part of doing the business of learning at the health science center. From the QEP process, we expect collegial cross-disciplinary ideas to emerge and subsequently to produce new student-learning models. It’s not just about accreditation; it’s about being the best we can be.
(COLLEGE STATION, TX) – The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) today (Tuesday, March 23) presented a check totaling more than $1.1 million to The Texas A&M University System to provide support for cancer-related research by two professors.
The funds, part of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute's (CPRIT) $61 million inaugural grants, will support research projects under the direction of Dr. Robert Chapkin, professor and University Faculty Fellow in the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences in Texas A&M’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Dr. Darwin Prockop, professor of molecular and cellular medicine and holder of the Stearman Chair in Genome Medicine at the Texas A&M Health Science Center. Dr. Prockop also is director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the center.
CPRIT was represented at the presentation by James Mansour, chairman of its Oversight Committee, and Executive Director Bill Gimson.
“I have been fortunate to have been involved with CPRIT since its inception and have no greater satisfaction than presenting these dollars to the dedicated researchers to enable them to begin working towards finding a cure for cancer,” Mansour said.
The check was formally accepted by Texas A&M System Chancellor Michael D. McKinney in ceremonies at Texas A&M’s Clayton Williams Jr. Alumni Center following welcoming remarks by Texas A&M Vice President for Research Jeffrey Seemann.
“Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Texas, and the first among people who are age 75 or older,” Seemann noted. “The cost of cancer to Texas every year is about $30 billion, so it’s extremely important that we fight this terrible disease. Today, Texas A&M is saying that we very much want to be part of that fight.”
State Sen. Steve Ogden, who was instrumental in facilitating the state’s funding for CPRIT, also joined in the ceremonies.
“This is a very successful day for Texas A&M, these researchers and the people of Texas,” Ogden said. “This gift is a mandate from Texans, who are saying we want to use these funds to cure cancer. This is an exciting day for all of us and it’s a wonderful project that Texans can take pride in.”
In formally accepting the check, Chancellor McKinney said: “We are obviously pleased to share in the first round of grants awarded by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas and congratulate Professors Chapkin and Prockop for receiving this much-needed funding to support their continuing work in combating cancer.”
The Institute for Regenerative Medicine team headed by Dr. Prockop studies adult stem cells that are in tissues throughout the body and provide a reservoir for replacing damaged or aging cells as they develop into just one or two different kinds of tissue, he explained.
He and his colleagues use these adult stem cells to combat osteoarthritis, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, cardiac, kidney and pulmonary diseases.
“The next step,” Dr. Prockop said, “is to take this idea of manipulating anti-cancer genes from cells to animal models and then to humans. From there, we will discuss its commercialization for widespread use. The Institute for Regenerative Medicine also will provide academic programs for career development and job training, as well as serve as an engine of new scientific development for the State of Texas.”
The overall goal of Chapkin’s research that is being supported by the CPRIT grant is to understand better how the colonic stem cell population responds to environmental factors such as diet, chronic inflammation and carcinogen, he explained.
"A growing body of literature supports the contention that foods containing Omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and phytochemicals are important in suppressing colon cancer,” Chapkin noted.
He said, therefore, several issues will be addressed, such as: Is the stem cell number and location fixed? Does this change during malignant transformation? Can a chemoprotective diet influence these events?
"It is anticipated that novel stem cell signaling networks will emerge from these studies," Chapkin emphasized.
“The overwhelming message today has been that CPRIT is for innovative ideas,” said Dr. Nancy W. Dickey, president of the Texas A&M Health Science Center and vice chancellor for health affairs for The Texas A&M University System. “Ideas that might otherwise sit on a shelf are given life and a chance to move forward with CPRIT funds. Their success leads to the next question, and every step is a step toward new treatments, less painful treatments and whole new ideas.”
In 2007 Texas voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment that led to the establishment of CPRIT and authorized the state to issue $3 billion in bonds to fund groundbreaking cancer research and prevention programs and services in Texas. CPRIT’s goal is to expedite innovation and commercialization in cancer research and to enhance access to evidence-based prevention programs and services throughout the state.
CPRIT accepts applications and awards grants for a wide variety of cancer-related research and for the delivery of cancer prevention programs and services by public and private entities in Texas. More information about CPRIT and the funded proposals is available at its Web site, www.cprit.state.tx.us.
Texas A&M Health Science Center (HSC) students and faculty came from far and wide to participate in a long-held tradition—convocation. In academia, “convocation” is a ceremonial assembly of the members of a college or university. Traditionally, it highlights accomplishments of the previous year and serves as an annual or biannual opportunity for the university community to hear from its leadership.
Every two years, the faculty, staff, students and administration from across the HSC gather to participate in a formal academic convocation. Unlike more traditional convocations, community members and stakeholders from throughout the state with a vested interest in the success of the HSC are also invited to participate. For the first time in the history of the HSC, all campuses were linked together through technology, joining 1,400 people from across the state for the 2010 Convocation.
With flags unfurled and banners held high, students – some in their white coats – and faculty in regalia marched into two auditoriums, filed into rows of seats and took their places for the ceremony. Hundreds more watched from live camera feeds from HSC colleges while others viewed the proceedings on their computer through an interactive program known as Second Life.
Introduced to the HSC community at convocation, this technology can be used to recreate campuses in a virtual world. And, that’s exactly how the HSC is using Second Life. An HSC world is currently being constructed to foster innovation in education. Students will be able to create an avatar, thus allowing them to navigate around the campus, participate in classes and practice skills in simulated activities held on the virtual HSC campus. As the HSC moves forward with this technology, it also moves forward in pursuing many other areas of excellence.
Building from the ground up
Baylor College of DentistryMany people have been guilty at some point of using their teeth to open a bottle or jar that’s too tight, rip open a bag of potato chips, tear a piece of plastic tape, yank a price tag from a clothing item, cut a wire, clip a fingernail and even crack a pecan. But dentists at the Texas A&M Health Science Center Baylor College of Dentistry say that most cases of chipped or broken teeth happen when teeth are used as tools rather than chewing instruments.
full storyDallas area school children will smile a little brighter this year with dental screenings and fluoride varnishes provided by Texas A&M Health Science Center Baylor College of Dentistry during the 14th annual Mayor’s Back-to-School Fair, Thursday, August 5 at Dallas’ Fair Park.
full story"Be confident because you are crafted for success and destined for excellence," the keynote speaker told the 2010 Texas A&M Health Science Center Baylor College of Dentistry graduates during commencement exercises on May 27 at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas. This year's commencement speaker was Dr. Kelton Stewart, a 2006 and 2008 HSC-BCD alumnus. Stewart is an assistant professor of orthodontics at Indiana University School of Dentistry.
full storyTwo faculty members at Texas A&M Health Science Center Baylor College of Dentistry are setting sail into uncharted virtual waters.
full storyDesensitizing toothpastes work well for people experiencing sensitivity due to worn tooth enamel or gum recession. However, dentists at Texas A&M Health Science Center Baylor College of Dentistry warn that patients should not use these products as a cure-all for tooth pain when the pain could signal a more serious condition.
full storyTexas A&M Health Science Center Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas is looking for patients to participate in a research study to explore the possibility of using saliva as an early oral cancer detection method.
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College of MedicineT. Samuel (Sam) Shomaker, M.D., J.D., Dean of the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, announces the appointment of Richard A. Beswick, Ph.D., MBA, as Assistant Dean for Research for the Temple Campus of the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine.
full storyTexas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine faculty were honored at two events this spring for their contributions to the clinical education of College of Medicine students.
full storyThe long, sun-filled days of summer mean more time outdoors and lots of physical activity. Add activities like preseason football practice, band camp and athletic team tryouts, and you have children and young adults with an increased risk of heat stroke, according to the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine.
full storyConcluding a 10-month nationwide search, The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents on July 23 approved Thomas (Sam) Shomaker, M.D., J.D., as new The Jean and Thomas McMullin Dean of Medicine for the Texas A&M Health Science Center (HSC) College of Medicine and vice president for clinical affairs for the HSC.
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College of NursingCollege of Nursing student Christie Richter has been awarded a national Health Resources and Services Administration nursing scholarship designed to address critical nursing shortage needs.
full storyTwo faculty members in the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Nursing recently received a grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) under the Nursing Innovation Grant Program Best Practices and Breaking the Bottleneck in Clinical Education Competitions.
full storyDr. Regina Bentley in the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Nursing has been named to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Leadership for Academic Nursing Program.
full storyThe physical changes of aging and multiple medical problems make illnesses in adults difficult, so it is essential to recognize more commonly seen atypical presentations, according to the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Nursing.
full storyThe Texas A&M Health Science Center will host commencement ceremonies for the College of Nursing on Friday, May 21, the College of Medicine and School of Rural Public Health on Saturday, May 22 and the Baylor College of Dentistry on Thursday, May 27. The inaugural commencement for the Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy in Kingsville occurred Saturday (May 15).
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Graduate School of Biomedical SciencesThe Texas A&M Health Science Center (HSC) Institute of Biosciences and Technology annual Graduate Student Symposium was May 20 in Houston, featuring talks and poster presentations by students and a keynote by Dr. Duojia Pan, Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator.
full storyDavid S. Carlson, Ph.D., vice president for research and graduate studies at the TAMHSC, has been named interim director of the HSC-Institute of Biosciences and Technology in Houston.
full storySeventy TAMHSC Baylor College of Dentistry volunteers cared for more than 800 children at the 12th annual Dallas Mayor’s “Back-to-School” Fair Aug. 7 at Fair Park.
full storyThe TAMHSC College of Medicine will host “Reunion ’08” on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 1-2 for alumni and their families, along with the college’s largest-ever incoming class of 135 first-year students.
full storyKenneth McLeroy, Ph.D., professor in the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, was appointed to a four-year term on the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) review panel, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
full storyKirby Donnelly, Ph.D., professor and head of environmental and occupational health at the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, recently was appointed to serve on the Environmental Protection Agency Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Scientific Advisory Panel.
full storyResearchers at the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health have found physicians discuss social activities in only 31 percent of medical encounters with geriatric patients, and this lack of communication negatively affects overall patient satisfaction, can increase patient anxiety and could mean sacrificing potential health benefits.
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Institute of Biosciences & TechnologyResearchers at the Texas A&M Health Science Center Institute of Biosciences and Technology have discovered how a specialized membrane protein can turn a common signaling system that promotes cell growth and tumors into one that inhibits cell growth and suppresses tumors.
full storyThe Texas A&M Health Science Center (HSC) Institute of Biosciences and Technology annual Graduate Student Symposium was May 20 in Houston, featuring talks and poster presentations by students and a keynote by Dr. Duojia Pan, Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator.
full storyContinuing its research and educational partnerships with the Far East, the Texas A&M Health Science Center (HSC) Institute of Biosciences and Technology has signed a Letter of Cooperation with Xiamen University in Fujian Province, China.
full storyResearchers at the Texas A&M Health Science Center (HSC) Institute of Biosciences and Technology at Houston have discovered a gene’s unique role in atrial fibrillation, a finding that could eventually help in developing treatments for a disease affecting millions of Americans.
full storyDavid S. Carlson, Ph.D., vice president for research and graduate studies at TAMHSC and interim director of the Institute of Biosciences and Technology in Houston, has been named to the prestigious National Institutes of Health College of Center for Scientific Reviewers.
full storyJames F. Martin, M.D., Ph.D., has been appointed interim director of the Center for Molecular Development and Diseases (CMDD) at the Texas A&M Health Science Center Institute of Biosciences and Technology in the Texas Medical Center in Houston.
full storyResearchers at the TAMHSC Institute of Biosciences and Technology in Houston have uncovered a potential mechanism that could prevent cancer at its origin.
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Irma Lerma Rangel College of PharmacyVaccines not only protect children, but they also protect other children from acquiring various diseases. The required vaccinations do not necessarily cover every disease or sickness, but they do protect against several severe conditions, according to the Texas A&M Health Science Center Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy.
full storySummer is upon us, and before having fun in the sun, you should prepare to protect your skin from the potentially hazardous ultraviolet rays.
full storyThe Texas A&M Health Science Center Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy will host its inaugural commencement at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 15 at the Edward Jones Auditorium on the campus of Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
full storyHSC and Texas A&M University collaborated during the spring semester in a student competition designed to protect patient health and safety.
full storyThe COP Academy of Student Pharmacists chapter has been selected as a 2010 recipient of the American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) Project CHANCE Award.
full storyIn support of the recently opened TAMHSC Round Rock campus, the Seton Medical Center Williamson has pledged $600,000 toward development of the TAMHSC’s nursing program in Williamson County. The St. David’s Foundation also has given $250,000 to support overall development of the campus.
full storyIndra K. Reddy, Ph.D., dean of the Texas A&M Health Science Center Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, recently received two prestigious honors from the American Pharmacists Association.
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School of Rural Public HealthThe Texas A&M Health Science Center (HSC) School of Rural Public Health McAllen Campus and the McAllen Asthma Coalition (MAC) recently partnered with the Texas A&M University Center for Housing and Urban Development colonias program (CHUD) to offer asthma certified continuing education training for South Texas community health workers (promotores).
full storyThe Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health is part of a team that recently won a four-year Accelerating Change and Transformation of Organizations and Networks (ACTION II) contract from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
full storyJoseph Sharkey, Ph.D., M.P.H., RD, has been promoted to professor at the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health.
full storyDoctors, public health leaders, and scientists from nine universities from across the Gulf Coast have formed a consortium to collect health data now and possibly for decades to come, in order to monitor and evaluate the potential long-term health concerns of the oil spill.
full storyWatch our most recent "Public Health Matters" video to hear the best ways to use your computer comfortably.
full storySangNam Ahn, Ph.D., M.P.S.A., post-doctoral research scientist at the Texas A&M Health Science Center (HSC) School of Rural Public Health, has been named the winner of the 2010 Retirement Research Foundation Laurence G. Branch Doctoral Student Research Award.
full storyThe Center for Community Health Development (CCHD) at the Texas A&M Health Science Center (HSC) School of Rural Public Health is making new strides in supporting prevention research and training to improve the Rio Grande population health status.
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While most students were spending their Spring Break at the beach or lounging poolside, eight Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine first- and second-year students from College Station and Temple traveled more than 8,000 miles to Kampala, Uganda, for a medical mission at the New Hope Orphanage in March 2010 as part of the Christian Medical Association (CMA).
After nine months of planning, the students, Dr. Eric Wilke ’95 and Dr. Thomas Peterson, CMA advisor, landed in Uganda with 11 other volunteers including their own family members and four Texas A&M University undergraduates. Although he has been traveling on medical missions to the New Hope Orphanage for five years, Dr. Wilke has been devoted to medical volunteer efforts for many years. As a student, he co-founded Martha’s Clinic, the student-run free clinic for the homeless and indigent population of Temple and surrounding Bell County, in 1994.
From the streets of Bell County to the Ugandan countryside, a desire to serve the community, both locally and globally, inspires Dr. Wilke to return to Uganda - this time with the students.
The roadways in southern Uganda, mostly rutted red dirt paths, were so inhospitable that the six-mile bus ride from the capital city of Kampala to the orphanage took about an hour. Upon their arrival, the road leading to the orphanage was lined with more than 800 students and teachers welcoming them with waves and songs.
After unloading bins filled with donations of clothes, food, school supplies and medicines, the team set up shop in two large, open-air tents. Four Texas A&M undergrads began to triage the patients and distribute medications, in essence forming a makeshift pharmacy. Then, with the help of translators, the medical students took patient histories and diagnosed and treated all kinds of ailments. For four-and-a-half days, they treated more than 1,000 patients for everything from broken bones to hypertension, dehydration and even tropical diseases like malaria.
[caption id="attachment_5725" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Ugandan children smile and pose with medical student Jessica Solis."]
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“The day we got there, a young boy was carried into the tent exhibiting cerebral malaria so advanced that he was experiencing fever-induced seizures,” said first-year medical student Colin Fuller. “He had to be transported to the hospital in Kampala immediately. Right there from Day One, we realized how important this mission was.”
The patients continued to pour into the tent clinic. One day, the team treated ear infections, cleaned and bandaged simple wounds, set broken arms, drained abscesses, treated a few hernias, and performed a lumbar puncture. The next day found them setting a line to push fluids directly into the bone marrow cavity of a severely dehydrated patient.
“As future physicians, it’s important for us to have a more global outlook on medicine,” said first-year medical student Benjamin Brown. “As a first-year student, I got to see live patients, and I was so fulfilled by their appreciation for even the most basic medical care.”
One elderly woman – age 73 in a country with an average life expectancy of 52 years – complained of steadily increasing deafness. By simply irrigating her ears, one student was able to remove waxy buildup that had been exacerbated by constant exposure to the area’s red dirt. Visibly moved by the difference a simple procedure made, the woman exclaimed, “Thank you so much! Can I hug you?”
When they weren’t treating patients, the first-year students attended rounds with the doctors at the Mengo Hospital in Kampala, the oldest hospital in Uganda. Second-year students spent time in an HIV clinic.
[caption id="attachment_5726" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="A Ugandan child smiles on the shoulder of medical student Cory Russell."]
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“HIV treatment is free in Uganda,” said second-year medical student Valerie Schwind. When asked why the treatment was free when basic medical care was hard to come by, she replied, “Because HIV is so widespread in Uganda. It’s everywhere.”
“Public health initiatives and education are so obviously necessary,” added first-year student Benjamin Raber. “Without something as simple as garbage collection, the air becomes polluted, and the children play in trash.”
Through it all, every member of the team agrees they would return to Uganda for another mission. For now, they take comfort in the fact they were able to sponsor one child to live in the New Hope Orphanage and attend its classes. They donated $5,500 for food and operating costs and 250 nets to be placed over children’s beds to shield them from the mosquito-borne malaria parasite. Their efforts also raised $10,000 that was used to buy much-needed medicines at cost.
“Our students are experiencing medicine in a way that many doctors never experience,” Dr. Peterson said. “The educational and humanitarian experience on such a mission trip is unbeatable. Nothing in the classroom can duplicate it.”
“We got to see things that most doctors in the United States never see,” Raber said. “Yet one of my most memorable experiences was when one little boy grabbed my hand and then called to his friend. When his friend ran over, he let go of two of my fingers so that his friend could hold my hand, too.”
First-year medical student Jessica Solis echoed Raber’s sentiments.
“Their joy is incredible,” Solis said. “They have so little, but they are so appreciative for everything.”
